1. Field of the Invention
One embodiment of the present invention relates to a method of measuring a minute current flowing in a semiconductor device.
One embodiment of the present invention is not limited to the above technical field. The technical field of one embodiment of the invention disclosed in this specification and the like relates to an object, a method, or a manufacturing method. One embodiment of the present invention relates to a process, a machine, manufacture, or a composition of matter. Thus, specific examples of the technical field of one embodiment of the present invention disclosed in this specification include a semiconductor device, a display device, a light-emitting device, a power storage device, a memory device, a method for driving any of them, and a method for manufacturing any of them.
Note that a semiconductor device in this specification and the like generally means a device that can function by utilizing semiconductor characteristics. A semiconductor element such as a transistor, a semiconductor circuit, an arithmetic device, and a memory device are embodiments of a semiconductor device. An imaging device, a display device, a liquid crystal display device, a light-emitting device, an electro-optical device, a power generation device (including a thin film solar cell, an organic thin film solar cell, and the like), and an electronic device may each include a semiconductor device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Attention has been focused on a technique for forming a transistor using a semiconductor thin film formed over a substrate having an insulating surface (also referred to as thin film transistor (TFT)). Such transistors are applied to a wide range of electronic devices such as an integrated circuit (IC) and an image display device (display device). A semiconductor material typified by silicon is widely known as a material for a semiconductor thin film that can be used for a transistor, and an oxide semiconductor has been attracting attention as well.
For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technique in which a transistor is manufactured using an amorphous oxide containing In, Zn, Ga, Sn, and the like as an oxide semiconductor.
In order to manufacture semiconductor devices that need charge retention, such as liquid crystal display devices, it is very important to know the characteristics of transistors in an off state (hereinafter referred to as off-state current), and the like. This is because the parameters of a thin film transistor such as channel length and channel width are determined in accordance with the characteristics of the transistor in an off state.
Patent Document 2 discloses an evaluation method in which current values lower than or equal to 1×10−24 A can be measured.